The Prisoner of Azkaban
by viktriap
Summary: AU James and Lily switched Secret Keeper but Sirius suggested Remus instead of Peter. Twelve years later things are different but not necesserily better. renewed version
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **Of course I don't own anything that is related to Harry Potter.

AN: Maybe there are some of you who read the first version of this story - at least the first three chapters, because the rest I didn't post. Actually, I started this before even OotP came out and then I had a major writer's block. I rewrote a lot of things and decided to start this again. I don't promise that will update fast but I promise to finish this story. So please tell me what you think about it. Thank you for reading.

**Chapter one: Choices and differences**

_**1981**_

„Sorry for disturbing you…"

This hesitant tone was so not typical for Sirius that Remus looked up immediately.

„What's wrong?"

His friend's face was etched with worry. His last two years with the aurors robbed him of that mischieveuous innocence that his parents couldn't kill. He was a responsible member of the wizarding law enforcement and Remus found this change a little bit frightening. It showed how severe their situation was.

„I'd like to talk to you about something… in private" he added which meant of course somewhere where they couldn't be overheard.

„Let's go to my office."

Remus worked at the Merlin Public Library in London which was not only the biggest library in wizarding Britain but also a famous research center. It was a good place to work at – if somebody had a maniac obsession with books and with studying.

Sirius followed him in silence and remained so even after Remus closed the door and muttered a silencing spell.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked again even more worried this time.

"I guess you know about the prophecy…" Sirius said at last.

He didn't have to ask which prophecy. Dumbledore told him about it and asked him to try to analyze it. Unfortunately he came to the same conclusion as his old mentor. So he just nodded.

"Dumbledore came up with an idea to protect Harry…" he sighed and collapsed into one of the huge oak chairs. His expression told that he didn't like the old man's idea that much.

"What would it be? Or can you talk about it?"

They lived in a war and there were secrets of which you couldn't tell a word even to your best friend.

"Yes… Or at least I feel that I have to, because I thought about it a lot and I think we might make a big mistake. I want to hear another opinion…"

"You know… Dumbledore suspects that somebody is giving over information to Voldemort… somebody who is close to James or to Lily. Wherever they try to hide the Death Eaters always find them. It is only a question of time…"

He didn't have to finish the sentence. Those who were on Voldemort's death-list all died… sooner or later.

"Dumbledore thinks the only way is to cast the Fidelius Charm."

"It sounds reasonable… Does James agree?"

"More or less. He doesn't want to go into hiding but he has a son… and Harry's life is more important than his pride or honor."

"Did he say this?"

"No. Actually I told him this when I tried to convince him to accept Dumbledore's suggestion."

"Then what's the problem?"

"James asked me to be the Secret Keeper."

"It's also reasonable, you're his best friend, you're Harry's godfather."

"Which Voldemort knows perfectly well, too."

Remus started to understand what Sirius must have been thinking about.

"You are afraid that it's too obvious" it wasn't a question but Sirius nodded nonetheless.

"He certainly will come after me…" he looked up and Remus was taken aback by the fire in his pale blue eyes. "Don't think that I'm scared of him. I'm not." And Remus believed him, because he knew Sirius. There weren't many people who could tell this convincingly but Sirius definitely could. "I'm scared that it doesn't matter how hard I try in the end I'll betray them and then…"

He turned away as if he found something very interesting in the pattern of the carpet. Remus knew that it must have been hard for Sirius to admit that he might not be unbreakable. He had a rough childhood and to tell the truth his adulthood didn't seem much better either but he never showed weakness. Probably because weakness would have killed him in the Black family.

"I thought about this whole night and I think I have an idea. It might not be perfect but it could work. If you agree…"

"So I guess I have a role in your plan, as well."

"You can say it's the main role."

"I'm honored."

"Just wait out." He smiled but it didn't really reach his eyes. "I think James should choose somebody else for Secret Keeper. Without telling anybody else. We would drop hints that it is me, this way the Death Eaters would come after me but even if they catch me I won't be able to tell them about the Potter's whereabouts."

"And you mean they should switch to me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I trust you. I was hesitating for a while but it really could be only you or Peter."

"And why not him?"

"I don't know" then she smiled sheepishly. "Actually in the end I threw up a coin. So you can call it luck… or unluck, it depends."

For a few moments they sat in silence as Remus was digesting what he heard.

"I don't like the idea of you playing the role of a bait… But I think the idea is good and you're probably right in everything so… I accept."

Sirius nodded.

"I'm glad" but there was anything but happiness in his voice. "We should accomplish this as soon as possible. I contact James and I'll meet you here at six p.m."

"Today?"

"Of course."

Two months later James and Lily Potter were dead but their son survived. Voldemort was gone or at least weakened drastically and everybody cheered except those few who grieved the lost of four wonderful people… and some a fifth who didn't lose his life but probably his soul by betraying his friends.

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	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 2: The beginning**

_**1993**_

Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, was at the moment on the run. Firstly on the run from his relatives and secondly from the Ministry. He was sitting on a bed on this strange bus – what was its name again? – the Knight Bus and was looking at the front page of the Daily Prophet that the conductor named Stan started to read a few moments ago.

"That man!" Harry said, forgetting his troubles for a moment. "He was on the muggle news!"

Stanley turned to the front page and chuckled.

"Remus Lupin" he said, nodding. "Course 'e was on the Muggle news, Neville. Where you been?"

He gave a superior sort of chuckle at the blank look on Harry's face, removed the front page and handed it to Harry.

"you oughta read the papers more, Neville"

Harry held the paper up to the candlelight and read:

_LUPIN STILL AT LARGE_

_Remus Lupin, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today._

'_We are doing all we can to recapture Lupin' said the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, 'and we beg the magical community to remain calm.'_

_Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis._

'_Well, really, I had to, don't you know' said an irritable Fudge. 'Lupin is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance the he will not breathe a word of Lupin's true identity to anyone. And let's face it- who'd believe him if he did?'_

_While Muggles have been told that Lupin is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand which Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Lupin murdered thirteen people with a single curse._

Harry looked at the picture of a pale man whose eyes were shadowed with visible madness. He looked like ghost, was skinny and in his long light-brown hair were wide grey streaks.

"Scary-lookin' fing, inee?" said Stan, who had been watching Harry read.

"He murdered thirteen people?" said Harry, handing the page back to Stan "with one curse?"

"Yep" said Stan. "In front of witnesses an' all. Broad daylight. Big trouble it caused, dinnit, Ern?"

"Ar" said Ern darkly.

Stan swiveled in his armchair, his hands on the back, the better to look at Harry.

"Lupin was a big supporter of you-Know-'Oo" he said.

"What, Voldemort?" said Harry without thinking.

Even Stan's pimple went white, Ern jerked the steering wheel so hard that a whole farmhouse had to jump aside to avoid the bus.

"You outta your tree?" yelped Stan. "Choo say 'is name for?"

"Sorry" said Harry hastily. "Sorry, I forgot… So … so Lupin was a supporter of You-Know-Who?" Harry prompted apologetically.

"Yeah" said Stan, still rubbing his chest. "Yeah, that's right. Very close to 'im, they say. Anyway when little 'Arryy Potter put paisd to You-Know-'Oo… allYou-Know-'Oo-'s supporters was tracked down… Most of'em knew it was all over and they came quiet. But not Remus Lupin. It's because he'd a real monster, or so they say…

"What do you mean?"

Stan leant closer and whispered as if he wanted to make the impression even bigger.

"He's a werewolf…"

"A werewolf?"

"Yes, you know… nights with full-moon he turns into a beast … robs children eats them alive and kills everything that's moving…"

"Anyway, they cornered him in the middle of a street full of Muggles an' Lupin took out 'is wand and'h blasted 'Alf the street apart, a wizard got it and so did a dozen Muggles what got in the way. 'Orrible, eh? An' you know what Lupin did then?" Stan continued in a dramatic whisper.

"What?" asked Harry.

"Laughed" said Stan. "Jus' stood there an' laughed! 'e's mad innee, Ern?"

"Yes he is. They should have eliminated him when they had the opportunity, the Ministry it is" Ern said grimly. "A werewolf in Azkaban? Everybody goes mad in Azkaban but not a werewolf, or so it is said…"

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Albus Dumbledore was standing in front of a small country-house. Just outside the nicely attended garden. During his whole ride here he thought about the situation at hand. And about the man who was in the middle of the turmoil: Remus Lupin. The last time he saw him was almost exactly twelve years ago. He went to the Ministry to get some answers but he didn't get any. At least any that he liked.

He remembered that day too well. Seeing Lupin in that condition… chained and in something near craziness. Dumbledore could ask only one question… Why? If Lupin had told something…anything … he would have believed him but he didn't. He just looked up with those empty eyes and laughed out. Maybe a little bit hysterically but it wasn't such a big surprise after what he had done.

First Dumbledore thought it must be a misunderstanding or maybe that he did it to save Sirius. He wanted to have an explanation because he couldn't imagine that warm-hearted and caring young man joining Voldemort. But after meeting him he couldn't think anything else. And now Lupin was on the lose again.

At this point he had to think about the four boys who were the terror of the school and who had a friendship that surprised almost everybody. He was rather delighted of it. And what became of that? Two were dead, one was an escaped convict and a murderer and the fourth…

At the moment he stood in front of the fourth's door but he hesitated. Was this a good idea? He might be a wise and old man but some decisions were hard even for him. He sighed and knocked.

A young woman opened the door who had brown hair, brown eyes and a pretty face. She smiled when she glimpsed him.

"Professor Dumbledore!" she exclaimed, but then she must have recognized his grim expression because she asked. "Is something wrong?"

"I have to talk to Sirius, Miss Tonks. Is he around?"

"Yes, of course. Just a minute… Come in and take a seat" she invited him inside and rushed up the stairs.

Dumbledore walked inside the small living-room that was bright and sunny. He could understand why Sirius chose this house to live in. It was nothing like London and there was nothing dark about this little house that lied in the middle of the Scottish Mountains far away from every muggle or wizarding settlement.

The next moment the girl came back with Sirius Black at her side. His hair was tied in a ponytail that made the long scar on the left side of his face visible. He walked down the stairs with a slight limp that was not that bad as it had been the last time Dumbledore met him. The headmaster knew that it depended highly on the weather.

"Good morning, sir" the man greeted him.

"Good morning, Sirius." _How would he take this? _he wondered.

"'Dora told that you wanted to talk to me about something."

"Yes. Do you read the Daily Prophet here?" he asked.

"No."

Dumbledore wasn't really surprised at the answer. In the last years Sirius practically retreated from the wizarding world.

"Remus Lupin escaped Azkaban prison" Dumbledore told simply.

He saw Tonks looking at Sirius waiting for some kind of reaction but his face remained unreadable.

"And?" was all he asked after a long silence.

"We think that he might be after Harry…"

"We?"

"The Ministry… the Order. He talked in his sleep and due to the wards he repeated one single sentence: _He's at Hogwarts."_

"He wouldn't hurt Harry."

"Sirius…" Dumbledore sighed and sat down at last. They had this argument many times before. "I know you don't believe in the official version. I didn't want to believe it myself but the evidence is incontestable."

Sirius didn't answer just shook his head.

"And what do you want from me?" he asked then.

"I want you to come to Hogwarts… I need a new DADA teacher anyway, so I guessed…"

Sirius cut him off with a bitter laugh.

"You can't be serious!"

But the old wizard just looked at him and nodded.

"I absolutely am. You are capable for the job and you know Lupin better than anybody else."

Sirius just shook his head.

"You could meet Harry. You would teach him."

Sirius' head jerked up and every other wizard would recoil from the dangerous fire in his eyes… but not Dumbledore of course.

"The Ministry would never allow this!" he growled.

"They have no authority over my choosing. And they are afraid, helpless and you know how Fudge feels about werewolfs…"

"I know it perfectly well."

"What do you say to my offer?"

Sirius looked back at his niece who still stood behind him leaning against the doorframe, but she just shrugged, telling that she didn't have the answer.

"Harry is in his third year, right?" Everybody could have seen the inner turmoil because it was written on his face.

"Yes, he is. And he looks like James a lot."

Dumbledore knew that Sirius loved the boy above everything. It was his best card against him. Despite the fact that he was Harry's godfather the Ministry didn't let him taking care for the boy as he was declared mentally instable. First Dumbledore absolutely agreed with them but in the last few years he thought a lot about this decision especially seeing how the Dursleys treated Harry. His godfather at least would have given him parental love.

The younger man fought a lot to get custody over Harry but was refused every time and after a while he wasn't even allowed to enter the Ministry. Dumbledore knew that Fudge was practically scared of him which Dumbledore could understand in a way.

"I accept."

Dumbledore was so immersed in his thoughts that he almost forgot the question. But now he smiled.

"Thank you…"

"Don't thank too early…" Sirius said darkly. "I won't hunt Remus down."

"I didn't ask you for it. We will have the dementors around to do it."

"The dementors?" it was the first time that Tonks cut in.

Dumbledore frowned.

"I'm not glad about it, either but the Ministry insisted." Then he turned back to Sirius. "All I'd like to ask you is to protect Harry if Lupin tries anything against him."

"If this happens, he won't live to see another full moon" Sirius said and though his tone was almost casual there was no casualty in his eyes.

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About one hour later Sirius was sitting at the kitchen table watching Dora preparing two cups of coffee. So far they haven't talked about his decision but he knew that the girl would bring it up eventually. He knew her well enough: she was her mother's daughter and always said that was on her heart. Since her parents died four years ago, Sirius was her only relative – at least the only one who talked to her! – and she practically lived here.

She was in her sixth year when her parents died a mysterious accident. Everybody thought that dark wizards – probably ex-Death Eaters - stood behind it, but there was no evidence. So, Dora came to Sirius after the school-year ended and spent her holidays here. Then she applied to auror training and was accepted. She was spending her second year there.

Dora sat down on the opposite side of the table and tossed him the hot mug.

"So?" he asked to break the silence.

"So, what?" Tonks asked back innocently.

"I know you want to tell me your opinion."

"And I know that you've already decided. More over I agree with you… more or less."

"I think I'll hear about that 'less-part' soon."

Tonks smiled and rolled her eyes.

"I won't preach, but… I'm worried."

"Remus won't do anything to me" he repeated stubbornly.

"I'm not talking about Remus Lupin. I don't know if he's a murderer or not, I don't even know him" she raised her hand before he could tell a word. "I'm worried about you. Are you capable to the task?"

"Your parents had always supported me in getting the custody over Harry and so did you…"

"Yes, but Harry is one child. In Hogwarts there are a few hundreds more."

"I know, and don't think that I'm not afraid of teaching. And about your other concern… I'm well. I haven't had an attack for months and the potions help a lot."

Tonks sighed.

"All right. I'll start pack everything. How do you want to go?"

"With the Hogwarts-express, I think I'll start my guarding there."

"Do you allow me to visit you a few times?"

"Of course" he smiled. "I would be glad to have you there. But don't neglect your training!"

She leant forward and kissed him on the cheek then stood up and went upstairs. Sirius just stayed there sitting and thought about Harry. What would he tell him? How is he? Oh, Merlin! Dora was right, they had a lot to worry about.

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	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 3: The train-ride**

Harry, Ron and Hermione found an empty compartment on the end of the train. They met in Diagon Alley and spent a day together in the Leaky Cauldron. Harry was happy to see his friends and the whole Weasley family again but he had a big concern. The evening before he had accidentally heard as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley talked about that escaped convict… Remus Lupin. Mr. Weasley said that the Ministry thinks that Lupin was after him.

After he had heard this he looked up werewolfs in his new DADA book and decided that werewolfs were quite scary creatures. However he was glad that he got to know the fact that Lupin was after him: it's better to be prepared. And he was even happier that Mr. Weasley trusted him enough to tell him the truth.

He just decided to tell the news his friends when somebody stopped in front of their compartment-door and opened it. To their surprise it was an adult. Harry always thought that there was no adult on the Hogwarts Express except the plump which and maybe the engine-driver if a magical train needed one at all.

"Is there a vacant seat here?" asked the tall, dark haired man.

"Yes, of course" answered Hermione without hesitation for which he got a glare from Ron. And to tell the truth Harry agreed with him: this way he won't be able to tell them his story.

"Thanks."

The man stepped inside and after putting his trunk on the rack he took the seat next to the window. Before that however he took out a thick book from his luggage.

He started to read but after a few moments he looked up, obviously registering that the children were still looking at him.

"You can go on with whatever you did before I came in. I won't bite" he added with a strange smile that Harry couldn't place.

"Are you a new professor?" Hermione asked warily.

"Yes, I'm Professor Black."

And he smiled again as if he found it strange to tell his name. He seemed to be quite young to be a professor, maybe in his thirties but he had small wrinkles at the edges of his eyes.

"You will teach Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Yes."

"Then – excuse me for asking – but why are you traveling by the Hogwarts Express?" Hermione clearly decided to ask every possible question.

"You must be a top student if you are so inquiring" Hermione blushed but Professor Black didn't seem to be annoyed at all. "Anyway, you can call it a nostalgic ride."

After that he went back to his book and a few minutes later the children started to melt off a little bit. Time went fast and it slowly started to be dark outside. They played three rounds of exploding snap and Ron told a lot more about Egypt. The pulp witch came and went and Harry started to feel himself relaxed again…

Until suddenly all the lights went out and the train stopped so suddenly that the luggage had fallen out of the racks. A loud crash could be heard from the corner as Professor Black jumped and his book fell to the ground.

"What's going on?" asked Ron.

"Ouch!" Hermione gasped. "That was my foot, Ron!"

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Sirius jumped when the lights went out and felt his heart stop for a moment. Time stopped for him but his thoughts stayed clear in a slight way. He heard the children talking … then some new voices joined them and then… the door opened and coldness swamped the compartment. _Oh hell, a dementor!_ It could be nothing else…

_Pull yourself together! _He tried to order himself. _Nice Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher you are who blanks out in the darkness!_

Somebody screamed – was it the girl… Hermione? – and then there was a loud thud… _Harry!_

He practically jumped at the dementor and pushed it out of the compartment which wasn't the right method of course but he didn't feel the strength to make up a happy thought.

"We aren't hiding Remus Lupin in this compartment!" He said and was surprised how steady his voice sounded. "Leave the train!"

The dementor seemed to consider its chances and then floated down the corridor and left the train.

The lights came back after some flickering and despite himself he sighed in relief.

When Sirius stepped back into the compartment he saw to new faces: a red-haired girl who must have been another Weasley-child by her appearance and a chubby boy. They were all pale but what frightened him was that Harry was lying on the floor obviously unconscious.

He kneeled down next to the boy and caressed his face.

"Harry!"

First there was no reaction but after some shaking of his shoulder he started to moan and slowly opened his eyes.

"W-what…?"

"It's okay… come, I'll help you." And he hauled him to the feet and helped him back on the seat.

Sirius felt the other children at his back and knew that he probably should calm them as well, but Harry was his godson, for Godness' sake!

"Where's that… thing…?" Harry asked hoarsely.

"It left. Just stay sitting!" he said when he saw Harry trying to stand up. Sirius moved to his luggage and took out a good size of chocolate that he broke in smaller pieces.

"Come, eat!"

The children looked at him with suspicious eyes. They must have thought that he went crazy.

"It helps to decrease the after-effects of a dementor attack" he explained.

"A what?" the Weasley girl asked with wide eyes.

"That thing was a dementor. They guard the Azkaban prison, they were looking for Remus Lupin."

As they seemed still shaken he told again.

"Take the chocolate, it really helps."

Hermione was the first one to accept the candy but the others followed her in suit. When he was sure that they were all well he said.

"I'll have to talk to the engineer."

The children of course didn't know that there was no engineer at all on this train. He went to the end of the car where nobody could see him, opened one of the windows and took some deep breaths from the cool air. His hands were trembling and Sirius tried to control them. _He can't lose it so easy, damn it! What did Dumbledore think? How could he stop anybody and protect Harry if he was a wreck!_

Thetrembling slowly decreased and when he looked out the window again, he could see the lights of Hogsmeade.

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	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 4: A new year**

"I can't believe they let them on the train!" Sirius was pacing back and forth in Dumbledore's office. They were just before the feast but when the Headmaster heard what happened, he sent out McGonagall to take care of Harry and asked Sirius to come to his office.

"Please calm down! Nothing happened…"

"But can you imagine what could have happened!" He knew that he was shouting and maybe overreacting but didn't care. "The Ministry…"

"The Ministry can't control the dementors' every step" Dumbledore said patiently. "I agree with you that they shouldn't let them on the loose but they did. I can though assure you that they won't come near the school…"

"Maybe you can't control them, either" he was much quieter now.

"I'm not alone. But now… we have to appear at the feast. Come, walk with me" they left the office together and while walking slowly to the Great Hall the Headmaster asked. "Well, how was your first encounter with Harry?"

Sirius smiled rather sadly.

"He really looks like James… only his eyes…"

"Yes, he has Lily's eyes."

Sirius sighed.

"Do you think I should talk to him? Tell him the truth?"

"To be honest, I don't know. On one hand Harry is very mature, maybe he could handle it… but on the other hand… he's still a child…"

"I don't want to hurt him… maybe the Ministry was right: I'm not appropriated to bring up a child."

Dumbledore stopped and put his right hand on Sirius' shoulder.

"You mustn't think like this! I have to tell you that firstly I agreed with the Ministry but now that I met you again I think we could have acted differently. It might have been better for Harry if he had lived with you…"

Sirius smiled sadly.

"Thank you, Headmaster…"

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They arrived in the Great Hall and sat down. Dumbledore had to notice how Severus was watching Sirius. He knew of course that the potion master didn't agree with his choice. He said often enough that Black was crazy and instable and that he would surely help Lupin to get into the castle. Dumbledore warned him though not to provoke Sirius in any way. He had the foresight to seat them on the opposite sides of the table.

He decided of course that he would watch Sirius closely. He trusted him not to do anything to endanger Harry or the other children but he still was worried about him. He knew how much he had suffered. At last, he was there in St. Mungo when the aurors brought him in after he had been found. He remembered those days too clearly. They lost many good men then.

After getting a tip the aurors planned a raid against an abounded muggle house. During the raid they arrested five Death Eaters - the Lestranges amongst them - and they found not just Sirius but the Longbottoms as well. Sirius was luckier than the couple but first the healers didn't think so. They said he certainly suffered permanent damage after those many Cruciatus curses. Really, he was a mess. There was not one part in his body where the healers couldn't find a broken bone or some other injury. But this was only one thing: magical healing skills could handle those, even if not perfectly as it was shown by his limp and his many remaining scars.

What worried Dumbledore and the healers was his mental status and his eyesight. Sirius was kept in darkness during his whole ordeal in a magical way. The Death Eaters used a blinding spell on him again and again. This caused a kind of permanent damage and because of this he still had to take potions every day. If he hadn't taken his medicine regularly he would have lost his eyesight again.

He was held in St. Mungo's for a long time, almost a year. After he regained consciousness (which in itself was counted as a miracle) he had to learn a lot of things again. Even his ability to speak came back slowly. However he changed totally. The carefree young man who liked to joke and prank disappeared and a quiet, haunted and temperamental man appeared in his place. When he realized what had happened to his friends he decided to get back to the feet though. He never wanted to believe that Remus Lupin was the traitor and he bombarded the Ministry, especially Crouch and Fudge, with letters. When he was released from hospital he started to visit them in person, as well. After a while he wasn't even allowed to enter, especially, as he also wanted to get custody over Harry. The Ministry denied it so many times that Dumbledore couldn't even count.

Then once he went so far that he attacked Crouch physically. Only Dumbledore's influence saved him from a trial that time and it was the last drop. After that even Dumbledore warned him to back down and that was the day when Sirius left the magical community for good.

But Dumbledore visited him during these years quite often and he noted that slowly Sirius calmed down. He was gaining back his self-control and knew that he would do anything to do this job right and to protect Harry.

Anyway, he was sure that an interesting and very dangerous year stood ahead of them.

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The feast was as perfect as Harry remembered it from first year. He really enjoyed it but during the whole meal he couldn't forget that terrible creature…the dementor. Why did it make him faint? Noone else fainted! Was he really as weak as Malfoy and his gang tried to display?

The first-years were sorted, Dumbledore made a speech and introduced Professor Black and the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher, who was – to Harry's big joy – Hagrid.

After dinner they went back to the Gryffindor Tower and stayed in the common room for a while. They studied their timetables.

"How can you go to so many lessons?" Ron asked after he read Hermione's timetable. "This is impossible!"

"No it isn't, I talked with Professor McGonagall about it and she helps me to organize everything…"

"But still. You have lessons that are at the same time!"

Hermione grabbed the parchment out of his hand.

"Nobody can't be at two places at the same time!" she declared.

"That's exactly what I was referring to…"

Harry looked around and realized that everybody went to sleep by now, only some fourth years were chatting in the opposite corner, but they were too far away to hear what they were talking about. He thought it was time to tell his friends his story.

"I have to tell you something" he started and hearing the seriousness in his voice Ron and Hermione instantly stopped arguing.

"What's wrong?" the girl asked in a worried tone.

"Yesterday evening when we were in the pub I've overheard something Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were talking about…" and he explained how the Ministry thought that Remus Lupin was after him.

"But he's a werewolf!" Ron said in a panicking voice.

"I know."

"Oh, my God, Harry! You must be afraid…" Hermione said.

"Not really…" and it was true. Hogwarts was the safest place in the magical world after all. Even Voldemort feared Dumbledore then his follower must be scared of him as well.

"Are you stupid?" Ron asked agitated. "Do you know what kind of special powers werewolfs have? They can blend in the shadows, they can sneak in everywhere without being seen!"

"This is Hogwarst, Ron!" Harry answered. "You can't just sneak in…"

Ron shrugged.

"Maybe, but werewolfs are more dangerous than any dark wizard… except You-Know-Who, of course. There were a lot of werewolfs amongst his followers and as my parents told Lupin was the most dangerous."

"And why was that?"

"Because he seemed to be nice… or so did my mother say."

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	5. Chapter 4

**AN: **I told you I'm slow! But here's the next chapter and I plan to update another one before Christmas. I hope you enjoy this one and please tell me what you think of it!

**Chapter 4: The boggart in the wardrobe**

Ron and Harry rushed into the DADA-room and sighed in relief that Professor Black wasn't there yet. Hermione still threw a despising look at them for being late.

"Where have you been?" she asked accusingly.

"Ron lost Scabbers" Harry answered.

"I didn't lose him! He ran away when I wanted to put him in my pocket!"

"You wanted to bring him to lesson? You know it's not allowed!"

"Yes! But he's sick!"

Their conversation was cut short by the arrival of their new teacher.

"Good morning, children!" he began. "Today we will have a special lesson which isn't part of this year's curriculum. However, as you all know the Ministry sent out the dementors to capture the escaped convict, Remus Lupin. I want you to know that dementors are very dangerous creatures. Do you know anything about them?" he asked. Nobody applied, except for Hermione of course.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"They feed on the happy thoughts of people."

"That's correct, yes. But more precisely they suck out every happy thought and memory of their victim and leave behind only the saddest and most horrible thoughts and memories. The victim can't think about anything else than these and with time he or she goes crazy because of this. Dementors guard Azkaban prison where those wizards are kept who committed some serious crimes. Because of the dementors' affects these witches and wizards lose their ability to do magic."

Harry shivered. He still couldn't forget the terrible feeling and the screams he heard when the dementor stepped into their compartment on the Hogwarts Express. But he quickly concentrated back on the lesson. _Maybe he can find out how to protect himself from the creatures! _

"It's very hard to fight a dementor, because - as I said - they influence magical abilities as well. We won't learn here how to chase away a dementor, it's advanced magic and you hopefully won't need it anyway."

Harry's heart fell and he didn't even realize that Hermione was waving with her arm to get the professor's attention.

"Yes, Hermione?"

"You said _to chase away_ a dementor. Can't they be destroyed?"

"Good question. You're very perceptive" Hermione smiled happily. "There's a way to kill them but it's even harder than to chase them away and most wizards never manage to learn it. If you are interested you can read about it in 'Guide to most dangerous dark creatures' it is available in Hogwarts' library."

"The best way to defend yourself against a dementor is to keep out of its way. However" he continued after a short silence, "I don't want to rob you the opportunity to learn the counter-curse. Professor Dumbledore and I agreed to start a new study circle. Our first meeting will be on Friday afternoon at four o'clock here in this room. Everybody can come who wants to learn some advanced self-defense-curses and methods."

Harry had the feeling that Professor Black was looking exactly at him when he said this. He immediately decided that he would go. Since he was introduced into the magical world he always managed to find trouble… or trouble managed to find him! But anyway if somebody then he needed self-defense.

"Instead the dementors we will learn about a different creature today and this is the boggart. Does anybody know what a boggart is?"

Of course Hermione knew it.

"A boggart is a shape-shifter, it can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Correct again, Miss Granger" Hermione seemed to be grown a few centimeters with proud. "Boggarts usually live in dark places and they try to surprise their victims. I had two reasons to choose them for today's lesson. The first is a theoretical reason: boggarts are in a way very similar to dementors. Can somebody tell me in what this similarity stands?"

Nobody volunteered but Harry had an idea and he raised his arm tentatively.

"Yes Harry?"

Professor Black looked at him with a slight smile. For a moment he looked almost as if he was embarrassed about something. This was the first time he smiled and it was strange because - however he was kind and polite to the students - he seemed rather grim so far. Now that he smiled, he looked much younger and Harry realized that he must have been in his thirties rather than in his forties as he had thought before.

"I think they are similar because they both manipulate our mind…"

"Yes, you are right. Dementors bring out our worst memories which we fear and boggarts manipulate us to see our worst fears in them. For this reason you can fight both creatures with similar methods. You need two things: concentration and self-knowledge. But before I continue I'd like to tell you the second reason as well. This is a practical reason: a boggart was found in an old wardrobe in the teacher's room. I asked Professor Dumbledore to let us practice on it."

A rather noisy reaction followed this announcement. They all remembered their last practical lesson with Lockhart that turned into an absolute catastrophe. But Professor Black seemed to be much more appropriate for a task like this than their last teacher.

"Please put away your books and follow me to the teacher's room!" he said a little bit louder.

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They walked into the teacher's room and found Snape there. The potion-master jumped up immediately and started to leave. He looked at Professor Black with such hostility that Harry has never seen before… maybe only one time: when Snape looked at him! It was good to know that he wasn't the only one that Snape hated with a passion. To tell the truth Professor Black's face wasn't exactly friendly either. It seemed that they could drown each-other in a drop of water.

"Professor Snape!" the DADA teacher said icily.

"Black!" it was more like a growl than a greeting. "I better get going… I don't feel like witnessing this _madness..._" he mumbled under his nose and slammed the door so hard that the walls trembled slightly.

Professor Black snorted but soon turned back his attention to the class.

"All right. As I said before to defeat a boggart you need concentration and self-knowledge. First of all you have to know what you are most afraid of. I'd like you to imagine that thing now. Close your eyes and imagine it."

Everybody did as they were told.

Harry was thinking rapidly. What was he most afraid of? The first thing that came to his mind was of course Voldemort… but then an even more terrifying picture appeared in his mind: the creature from the train and the screams he heard in his head… the dementors. He shivered and looked around to see if somebody had seen it.

"Do you have it?" Professor Black asked.

Everybody nodded around him.

"All right. When you meet a boggart it will take up the form of that thing that you fear the most. There is a spell that you can use against it though. It sounds like this: Riddikulus!" he showed with his wand how to do it. "Please try it out!"

"Riddikulus!" could be heard from more than twenty voices.

"Very good. But the spell isn't enough. As I said you need concentration. To deflect the boggart you have to face your fear and laugh about it. You have to think about something that makes your worst fear comical… or at least less terrifying. If this happens the boggart will look for another victim. As in this room there are plenty of possible victims the boggart will get confused after a while. This is our biggest advantage. Please form a line in front of this wardrobe."

They did so quickly but nobody wanted to be first… then somehow Neville ended up in front of the others and he watched the wardrobe with fearful eyes.

"What's your name?" Professor Black asked.

"Neville Longbottom, sir" Neville said in a trembling voice.

"You're the son of Frank Longbottom?" the teacher asked quietly.

"Y-yes, sir."

Black smiled and patted Neville on the shoulder but didn't say anything more about the topic.

"All right, Neville. Let's hear what you are most afraid of!"

Neville's lips moved but Harry couldn't make out what he said. Professor Black obviously could as he let out a bark-like laugh. Neville blushed to the ears.

"Never mind!" the professor said then in a friendly tone. "Professor Snape isn't really funny, what?"

Everybody snickered as they realized what Neville's worst fear is.

"I have an idea here" their teacher said thoughtfully, then bent down to Neville and whispered something in his ear. Neville seemed to be stunned at first, but after a while a broad grin appeared on his face.

Harry became very curious what the professor could have told him but he guessed they would find it out rather quickly. Professor Black stepped to the wardrobe and looked back at Neville.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Neville gripped his wand so tightly that his knuckles went white but he nodded determinedly.

Professor Black opened the wardrobe and… Snape stepped out of it furious and dark as ever.

"Riddikulus!" Neville shouted and pointed at the fake-Snape.

There was a noise like a whip-crack and a wild wind surrounded Snape and it tore into his robe, raising it up high in the air so that his legs could be seen. Snape didn't wear trousers under the robe. His legs were white and hooked and he wore short-like pants with huge pink hippopotamuses on it that were moving around like people in magical paintings.

There was a roar of laughter, the boggart paused, confused.

"The next one!" Professor Black ordered and Neville stepped out of the way to let Seamus face the boggart.

The creature immediately turned into something else with a crack. A woman with floor-length black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face stood in the middle of the classroom. A banshee. She opened her mouth and an unearthly sound filled the room…

"Riddikulus!" shouted Seamus.

The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone.

Then others came but Harry couldn't really concentrate. His mind was racing. Only two more people stood in front of him. _How could he make a dementor funny? _There was no way!

It was Ron's turn. Crack! A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair appeared.

"Riddikulus!" and the spider's legs vanished. Ron stepped away and it was Harry's turn…

He raised his wand and realized that his hand was trembling, the boggart turned and…

And then Harry was practically pushed out of its way by Professor Black.

_Crack! _The whole room turned dark. Harry suddenly forgot even the horrific image of the dementor. It was the blackest darkness he had ever experienced. He couldn't even make out his own hands. Then as suddenly as it started the darkness vanished as more hundreds of candles appeared in the air.

"Neville!"

Professor Black called in a strangely hoarse voice and Neville stepped in front of the boggart without hesitation. It turned into Snape again.

"Riddikulus!" shouted Neville and they had a split second's view of Snape in his funny underwear before Neville laughed out and the boggart exploded, burst into smoke and was gone.

While they were walking to next class everybody was talking excitedly about the lesson. Harry agreed with most remarks: this was really the best Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson they've ever had. But he felt upset. Why didn't Professor Black let him face the boggart? Did he think he was too stupid to do it? The most annoying thing was that deep in his heart he was glad. He still couldn't find out how he could have made the dementor look funny!

The others were cheering about something but Harry only thought about one thing: he has to learn the spell against the dementors!

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	6. Chapter 5

AN: Sorry, but I couldn't finish this chapter before Christmas. However now it is here. Read and enjoy and please review! Thank you!

**Chapter 5: Rumors**

Sirius walked into the classroom in a particularly relaxed mood. This was his second lesson with the sixth-years and he enjoyed the first one very much, especially the Weasley twins caused him some good moments. They were very funny and they reminded him of himself and James. It was very strange to remember those times because it seemed as if their years at Hogwarts were in another life.

So he walked into the classroom and then he stopped dead in his track. Dumbledore was in there with an other wizard who he knew very well. Too well...

"Sirius, I assume you know Lucius Malfoy" Dumbledore smiled politely but Sirius didn't think that he was capable of play his part.

"Yes" he said gruffly and didn't acknowledge the blond wizard's outstretched right hand.

Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Well, we don't want to disturb the lesson but Mr. Malfoy is here in the comission of the governors. He wants to observe the lesson."

Sirius shrugged and without a second glance at Malfoy he walked over to his desk. He saw the worried look on Dumbledore's face but he didn't care. Malfoy might have cleared himself from the accusations of the Ministry, but Sirius knew for sure that he was a Death Eater and he also experienced on his own skin how much he enjoyed torturing people. For a moment he felt the coldness of that basement and the darkness that engulfed him there and he shivered involuntary but forced back the memories and turned to the children.

"Today I would like to talk about the methods that the so called Death Eaters used during the war that Voldemort led against our society. I think you're old enough to know about the most dangerous curses that exist: the Unforgivables."

This wasn't today's lesson's topic but he couldn't stop himself and he felt a good amount of satisfaction when he saw the frown on Malfoy's aristocratic face.

When the lesson was over, Dumbledore waved him to the back of the classroom with a disapproving expression on his face. Sirius knew of course that this wasn't the most mature thing to do but at the moment he didn't really care.

Malfoy looked at him disgusted and he gladly returned the favor.

"I don't think that the Unforgivables are in the sixth-year curriculum" Malfoy said coldly. "Children shouldn't know about things like these!"

"They wouldn't need to know about these curses if some people wouldn't use them" he answered pointedly.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Don't you? As I remember you favored the Cruciatus in the old times."

Sirius felt Dumbledore's hand on his shoulder, but he didn't stop. He didn't even realized that most children stopped around them and listened to the conversation.

"You can't accuse me without consequences! I was relieved from all the charges!"

"Because you had enough money and connections..."

"I won't listen to this anymore! I see that everything is true that I heard about you in the Ministry: you are crazy and paranoid! Professor Dumbledore..." he started to turn away but he didn't have the opportunity to finish the sentence.

Sirius jumped forward and hit Malfoy on the jaw so hard that the man stumbled backwards and fell through the door and into the corridor. The corridor unfortunately was crowded with students and teachers.

Malfoy – still on the ground – pulled out his wand and Sirius followed suit immediately. Sirius would have cursed him without hesitation had Dumbledore not stepped between them.

"Stop this!" he said forcefully. "We are in a school if you forget!"

"You will regret this!" Malfoy said through gritted teeth. "You won't teach her long!"

Sirius wanted to tell something but Dumbledore's face stopped him.

"Professor Black!" he said. "Please meet me in my office!"

Sirius knew when to give up so he threw a last glance at Malfoy, then turned and stormed away.

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At dinner it was the main subject of every conversation what happened in the DADA classroom. And the students started to talk about Professor Black in a different manner.

Susan Bones whose aunt was the head of the Magical Law Enforcement knew some real interesting gossips and she shared it with everybody who listened.

"My aunt talked about him when she heard that Sirius Black would be our new teacher. She was his boss when he was at the aurors, but he was kicked out after some accident. He was banned out of the Ministry. The newspapers wrote that he went crazy."

"I don't understand how Dumbledore could let teach him here!" said Draco Malfoy to his friends loud enough that everybody in the Great Hall could hear it. "My father said that he spent years in St. Mungo's psychiatric ward. How could they let a madman teach in a school? I'm sure my father will soon settle things back to normal."

Ron approached his brothers to find out what really happened because he didn't trust Malfoy's narrative.

"Malfoy's father came as the inspector of the governors. He wanted to observe our lesson..." Fred began.

"...we should have learned about vampires but Professor Black started to speak about the Unforgivable Curses..."

"I thought those aren't in the curriculum!" said Hermione.

"I don't know about that but it was really interesting. I've never known why they are so dangerous."

"Then when the lesson was over, Professor Black accused Malfoy that he was a Death Eater. He didn't say it so, but this was the main point."

"Then Mr. Malfoy said that Professor Black was crazy and that was when he knocked Malfoy out."

"Professor Black seemed to be very angry, then they both drew out their wands and I'm sure they would curse each-other if Dumbledore hadn't stepped between them."

"Do you think that Malfoy is right?" asked Hermione.

"I don't know..." Fred answered hesitantly. "Maybe..."

"He seemed to be very dangerous for a moment" added George. "I watched his face and..." he trailed off.

"And?" asked Hermione.

"And his eyes looked more than grim. You know he's a Black."

"And?" asked Hermione again.

"Mum says that all the Blacks are crazy."

And the different gossips just went on and on.

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Sirius wasn't in the Great Hall for dinner.

After he had a not so friendly conversation with Dumbledore he went to his room still grumbling. He hasn't met Malfoy in the last twelve years and if it had been up to him he wouldn't meet him in the upcoming one hundred years, either.

He was in Voldemort's captivity for more than two months. Voldemort wanted the Potters and they thought – as it was planned – that he was the secret keeper. Every Death Eater could have a turn with him and Voldemort promised a great reward to that one who managed to get the secret out of Sirius.

So they tried very hard. He couldn't see them but some of them he could identify by their voices. Malfoy was one of them.

He needed to talk to somebody so he went to the fireplace and dropped in some floo-powder.

"The Black-house!" he said.

A few seconds later 'Dora's head appeared in the fire.

"Hi!" she said with a broad smile that soon disappeared when she saw Sirius' grim expression. "What happened?" he asked.

"I did a very stupid thing" Sirius admitted.

"And why am I not surprised?"

Sirius frowned to the comment, but then answered.

"I knocked out Lucius Malfoy."

"Oh, it must have been great!"

"In front of the half school" he finished.

"Oh... Are you fired?"

"Not yet."

"I don't think Dumbledore would fire you. You are his best chance to protect Harry."

"I don't know. He was rather furious. He wants me to apologize to Malfoy."

"And will you?"

"Not in this lifetime!" he answered vehemently.

"I see."

"No, I mean it!" then he said more calmly. "Maybe I will pretend."

"How are you?" Tonks asked rather gently.

"I'm well."

"Really? You seem to be disturbed."

Sirius sighed.

"Maybe I am. You know this place wakes up a lot of memories and Harry is here..."

"I see. But please take care of yourself and don't forget to take your potions."

"Yes, Mum!"

"Sirius!" she rolled her eyes but smiled.

"I have to go now. Dumbledore awaits me in his office... just like in old times."

"All right! Be careful! Bye!"

"Bye!"

He turned from the fireplace. However they didn't talk long he still felt calmer than before. 'Dora always had a good affect on him. He sighed and left his room to face Albus Dumbledore.

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7


	7. Chapter 6

**AN: **I'm sorry for the long delay! Again! As I mentioned before I'm a slow writer. But the new chapter is here to your enjoyement! Please let me know what you think.

**Chapter 6: The study-circle**

It was Friday afternoon just after their last lesson and Harry was in a hurry. He dropped down his books on his bed and checked his wand. It was the day of the first DADA study circle and he was very excited.

He started out of the dormitory when he saw that Ron was still sitting on his bed.

„Aren't you coming?" he asked.

„Where?"

„To Professor Black's study circle, of course!"

„Oh, there!" Ron was obviously squirming.

„Yes there! What is wrong with you?"

„Nothing... but to tell the truth... you know..." stuttered the redhead, „well..." Harry threw an impatient look at him. „I don't think that I'm going" he bursted out.

„And why?" Harry asked stunned.

„You know after what people are telling about him... I don't know what you heard, because you were so occupied with quidditch in the last days... actually I think that nobody will go!"

„Nobody? But why?"

„Because everybody thinks that Professor Black is... well... a little bit crazy..."

„Oh... I don't care, I'll go anyway and I'm sure that Hermione is coming as well. She would never pass an opportunity to learn something new."

Ron just shrugged and Harry rushed out to look for Hermione. He didn't have to look for long as Hermione was sitting in the common room over a huge book.

„Hey, Hermione!" he called.

Hermione looked up but only for second, then she turned back to the book.

„Hi, Harry!" she mumbled.

„Don't you want to come to the study circle?"

„I'd wanted very much but I can't! Could you ask Professor Black if I could join you on the second lesson? I have to write a very long essay for tomorrow and I'm only halfway and have to read through this book, so..."

„I see."

So Harry went alone to the DADA classroom and waited alone there for Professor Black. He couldn't understand why nobody came. In his opinion Black was the best teacher they've ever had and he didn't seem to be crazy at all. Of course he heard the rumor about how he knocked out Lucius Malfoy in front of the fifth years but he could understand it: Malfoy was almost as annoying as his son and after he almost killed Harry last year he couldn't feel sorry for the man.

Professor Black arrived a few moments later, greeted Harry with a smile and he didn't seem to be surprised at all that Harry was the only student present. Harry however saw surprised that the professor wasn't wearing wizarding robe but casual muggle clothing: jeans and a grey shirt. His long hair was bound and Harry could see a long scar on the left side of his face. It started on his temple and ended under his ear and Harry was wondering how he could get that one and why it couldn't be healed with magic.

"You still keep the lesson, Professor?" Harry asked a anxiously.

"Of course. I expected something like this."

"You did?"

"Yes. Slytherins would never come to my lesson willingly, Raveclaws and Hufflepuffs aren't inerested in fighting and most Gryffindors don't think that I'm... totally sane."

Harry didn't know what to say to this, so he rather stayed quiet.

"But let's go to business" the teacher said with much more enthusiasm. "As there's just you and me we don't have to stick to my plans. Tell me Harry what are you interested in?"

"Well... I'd like to know very much... how you can chase away a dementor?"

Black studied him thoughtfully.

"This is very hard to do. Why do you want to learn it?"

Harry hesitated a little bit, but he could see honest interest in the professor's eyes so he decided to tell the truth.

"The dementor on the train really scared me. And when we had to think about our biggest fear the dementor came to my mind immediately. And I don't understand why... nobody else fainted on the train... why did it affect me so differently...?"

"I see. But there's nothing surprising in this, Harry! Dementors use our traumatic experiences and you have a lot of those, I suspect. What did you remember when the dementor came into the compartment?"

"I don't really know... I saw green light and heard a woman screaming..."

"The death of your parents..." Black whispered and he went pale. Then he shook his head. "It's no wonder that it wore you out... I believe you don't even remember it consciously..."

"No, I don't..." Harry mumbled.

It was stunning that those screams came from his mother. For a moment there was total silence while Harry tried to digest this information. Then something came to Harry's mind but he didn't have the opportunity to ask his question because Black cleared his throat and said:

"All right. I'll teach you the Patronus Charm."

Harry looked at him questioningly.

"The Patronus Charm is the developing of very strong positive energy. If you like, it's a barrier between the wizard and the dementor. You need the spell and concentration. While you are telling the spell you have to think about a very positive memory. There's a method to practice it that is used by the ministry to train officials. We use an illusion charm to it that creates a fake dementor that has the same affect than a real one."

Black stepped to a cupboard and took out a small vial.

"I will show you first and then you try it."

He spilled out some powder from the vial and told a spell.

"Creatus dementor!"

In a moment a dark cloud appeared that soon took up a solid form, the form of a dementor. Harry felt the cold and the hair raised on the back of his head. Professor Black stepped in front of the dark creature, raised his wand and in a strong voice he said:

"Expecto patronum!"

Silver light came from the tip of his wand and seeing the smoke-like material the dementor seemed to deter and it staggered backwards. Then the energy turned into something else: it took on the form of an animal... After a while Harry realized that it was a dog and as if it were a real dog it rushed forward and attacked the dementor. The creature vanished into nothingness.

"This was amazing, Professor!" Harry said enthusiastically.

Black turned at him with a slight smile:

"All right! It's your turn now! Did you observe the spell?"

"Yes. Expecto patronum."

"Correct. And don't forget: You have to think about a happy memory, the happiest one you can come up with."

"Okay..."

"Good" he took out another portion of the powder and the dementor appeared again.

This timed though Harry stepped up to it. The cold surrounded him immediately and he felt as if he were pushed under cold water. He raised his wand determined.

"Expecto patronum!" he cried with all his might.

The lights blinked and it seemed as if fog started to overrun everything and Harry heard the screams again.

_'Not Harry! Not Harry! Please... I'll do anything..."_

Then everything went black for Harry.

"Harry?"

He opened his eyes and came face to face with Professor Black.

"Uh..." he moaned. "What happened?"

"You weren't lucky! But this isn't surprising. You need a lot of practicing to manage this spell."

He helped Harry up and gave him a good piece of chocolate.

"Eat! Would you tell me what you were thinking about?"

"About flying. The first time I sat on a broom."

"Just like your father..." the teacher said quietly.

"You knew my father?" Harry asked with stunned excitement his thoughs from before came back again.

"Well... yes... You know we went to school together... we were friends."

"Would you tell me about him?" he asked eagerly then – because he thought it needed some explanation – he added: "I don't know much about my parents... my relatives who I live with don't talk about them...

He didn't want to admit that when the Dursleys talked about James and Lily Potter they told only lies.

"Your father adored Quidditsh. He was the captain in our sixth and seventh year and he deranged everybody with his obsession to win the cup. Then we didn't win and he practically fell into depression."

Harry listened to every word with a smile on his face.

"His other mania was Lily, your mother. He didn't let her alone until she went out with him. It happened in sixth year. They were always arguing about the most trivial topics but in the really important things they always agreed. They were both swimming in happiness when you were born."

"You must have known them really well..."

"Yes... But let's get back to our lesson! Do you feel better?"

"Yep... I mean, yes" Harry almost forgot that he was talking to a teacher.

"Then are you up to a second try?"

"Yes."

"But you will need a more powerful memory!"

Harry thought about it and then nodded.

"I think I'm ready."

The dementor appeared again and Harry put everything in the spell. He concentrated very hard and tried to remember the scene in details. The fog was there again and the voice came.

'_Not Harry, please...!' and a voice of a man: 'Stand aside...!'_

"Expecto patronum!"

A dim light appeared on the tip on his wand. The dementor stopped hesitantly.

"Do it again!" Harry heard Professor Black's voice from behind.

"Expecto patronum!" he cried again and concentrated even harder.

The light got stronger and suddenly it shot out, the dementor staggered and in a second it was gone.

Harry felt totally exhausted and he would have fallen if Black hadn't caught him from behind.

"Come, sit down!"

He was led to a chair and Black give him another piece of chocolate.

"This was great Harry! You are very talented! I've never seen anybody manage the Patronus Charm for the second try!"

Harry smiled broadly but tiredly.

"Of course you still have to practice but I think it was enough for today."

"I agree."

"What were you thinking about this time?" Black asked but then added. "Of course, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, it's okay... This wasn't a real memory... I thought about my parents. You know, in first year I found Edevis' mirror accidentally..."

He saw in Black's expression that he knew what the mirror caused.

"I saw my parents in it and now I thought about that picture."

"I see. Do you have photos about them?"

"Yes. Hagrid gave me an album in first year."

They sat in silence for a while until Harry finished the chocolate and started to feel better. By that time it was getting dark outside.

"I think it's time for you to go back to dormitory" said Black looking out the window.

Harry stood up to leave but before he reached the door the professor's voice stopped him.

"Harry!"

"Yes, professor?"

Black studied him with strange eyes but then shook his head.

"I'll see you in next lesson..."

Harry left the room but he had a feeling that the professor wanted to tell something else entirely.

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AN2: I'm desperately looking for a beta so if somebody feels like helping me out then please e-mail me or let me know in a review I need somebody who speaks English very well and who knows the HP universe. Thank you!


	8. Chapter 7

**AN: **Here's the new chapter: I think I was a little bit quicker than the last time. Thank it to my new beta reader: The Royal Navigator! I hope she will nag me enough to write faster!

Enjoy! And please let me know what you think about the story! Thank you!

**Chapter 7: Dark night**

_Darkness surrounded him, but he heard them moving around and he heard the screams. They came from two different people and Sirius guessed that one of them was a woman. Sirius didn't really know where he was and could only guess how much time went by since he was captured, but he knew that he was in a multi-level building. He suspected that he was in the basement because he heard voices coming from above. _

_He heard the door open. Being in darkness all the time made his hearing more sensitive than ever. At least three people came in and one of them was a woman. Probably Bellatrix... She was the only female Death Eater who visited him frequently. _

"_Are you awake, blood-traitor?" _

_Yes, it was definitely Bellatrix. _

"_I see that you are!" _

_There was venom in her voice but this was nothing new. Bellatrix Lestrange was always angry... but there was something more to it this time and Sirius didn't think that he was up to a raging Bella. He had a 'nice meeting' with Lucius Malfoy and his two goons: Crabbe and Goyle a few days ago. That one left him with a broken shoulder and a few broken ribs, not to mention the countless cuts and bruises. And before that he had a turn with non other than Severus Snape who used some kind of potion on him that Sirius couldn't identify but caused a lot of pain and extreme weakness. _

_Oh, and don't forget the one before Snape: the Dark Lord himself visited him and that was something to remember for sure. But that was more than one and a half weeks ago because after that Sirius was unconscious for at least two days. He, however, wasn't sure. _

_And now Bella...a furious Bella. This assumption was confirmed by what came next._

"_Crucio!"_

_The Death Eaters had thrown the curse at him countless times, and he realized that it became worse and worse every time. His body was writhing as it tried to escape from the pain. He couldn't control it, even though his mind knew that there was no sense in it. Especially since the heavy chains held him firmly in place. _

"_I have news for you..." Bellatrix said but didn't raise the curse while somebody punched him hard in the ribs that left Sirius gasping with pain. This must have been Rodolphus Lestrange, he never left his wife's side. _

_The next blow came into his face, and he felt his nose break. Blood filled his mouth. Because of this and the pain, he didn't realize at first what Bellatrix was saying._

"_Your precious little friend is dead..."_

"_What...?" he choked out, the voice unrecognizable to his own ears._

"_Potter and his mudblood wife are dead!" Bella repeated. _

_Sirius swallowed the blood in his throat._

"_...don't believe you..."_

_Somebody hit him in the stomach, this time not with bare hands but with something hard, maybe a club. _

"_I don't care if you believe or not!" she snapped at him. "I didn't come to chat, I came to find out what kind of protection you used on the boy."_

"_I don't know... what you're talking about..." his words came out in a slur._

_Bellatrix practically shrieked at him and the pain caused by the Cruciatus intensified. Sirius cried out. Somebody yanked his head back by the hair and he heard a voice next to his ear._

"_The Potter brat... he was protected by some kind of defensive magic. What was it?" it was Rabastan Lestrange._

_Sirius's brain wasn't working as fast as normal, but he realized one thing._

"_Harry's alive?" he whispered._

_He felt the tip of a wand poking into his back and the former voice said._

"_Crucio!"_

_He didn't know how this was possible but the pain doubled and his body arched, the shackles around his wrists cut into his flesh and he felt blood running down his chin as he bit into his tongue. _

"_What did you use?" Bella asked again but Sirius couldn't have answered even if he had wanted to. _

_He felt distantly Rodolphus hit him again and again. Something cracked loudly and someone screamed..._

Sirius shot up in his bed, the scream stifled by his hand on his mouth. His body was covered in perspiration and he was trembling slightly. This was a recurring nightmare. It wasn't even a real nightmare. It was a memory and every time he had it, he felt as if he were back in that cold basement, in the magic-induced darkness with the fear and the pain.

He knew that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep so instead he got up. The animagus suspected that the vivid dream was partially caused by the fake-dementor's affect, partially because he talked to Harry about James and Lily, and also because he met Lucius Malfoy again.

After the study-circle he was due to appear in Dumbledore's office where he had to apologize to Malfoy for his improper behavior. It took a lot of self-control and he was kind of proud of himself because even a year ago he would knock Malfoy out for seeing the smug grin on the blonde wizard's face.

He walked over to the window and opened it. Outside it was already quite cold, and he was wearing only his pajama pants but he was grateful for the coldness right now. It somehow made him feel alive.

From the window he could see the outlines of the Forbidden Forest and his thoughts turned to Remus Lupin. If he came to Hogwarts then he had to be hiding in the Forest. Remus knew the place better than anybody else, probably better than Sirius himself.

He remembered clearly when first Moody and then Dumbledore tried to explain him what happened. At that time he wasn't himself and it was hard to digest that James, Lily and Peter were dead and that Remus was in Azkaban. On top of that he was unconscious for two months, and Harry was taken to the Dursleys and so on and so on...it was too much for his confused mind.

It took months until he started to comprehend everything. That was when he began to write letters to the Ministry: he wanted clearance to meet Remus and to get the custody over Harry. A few years ago he read those letters again and he could understand why nobody listened to him. The letters were agitated and incoherent at places.

Some people still thought that he was crazy but he knew he could think clearly now. Despite this he still believed that Remus wasn't a traitor. He needed to believe this...

The only problem was that every bit of evidence suggested the opposite.

He sighed, turned away from the window and quickly got dressed. This night was as good as any to start looking for Remus and venturing a trip in the Forbidden Forest.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harry couldn't sleep.

He was sitting on the window seat near his bed in the dormitory and was watching the Forbidden Forest. Or he didn't really watched it he just stared outside and thought about things: his parents mostly.

Before he sat in the window he looked through the album that he had received from Hagrid. To his surprise he found a picture of Professor Black. He was in a photo that was taken at his parents' wedding. They were all smiling and waving at the camera and Professor Black looked very different. Harry watched the picture for several minutes until he realized what made the difference: there was a rough sparkle in his eyes that was absent now.

Was it caused by the death of his parents?

Anyway, he decided that he would ask more questions about his parents as soon as he got the opportunity...

"Harry...?"

It was Ron's sleepy voice from behind.

"Yes."

"What are you doing up so late?"

"I couldn't sleep."

He heard as Ron getting out of bed.

"Is something interesting out there?" Ron asked and joined him on the windowsill.

He wanted to say no, but then he caught a glimpse of somebody moving at the edge of the Forest.

"Do you see that?" he asked.

"Yes."

They couldn't make out the face of the stranger but suddenly he disappeared and an animal appeared in its place.

"What the...?" Ron started but Harry grabbed his hand.

"Come!"

"But where?"

"After that man!"

"But why?"

"Don't know but I feel that it's important..."

"What if its Lupin?"

"I don't think so."

"Then at least wait until I put on my shoes..."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A dark shadow was moving in the depth of the Forbidden Forest.

Once he had a name, two actually. He was Remus Lupin. And he was Moony to his best friends. Now he was only a lost soul. He couldn't remember much of his past. He remembered only the darkness and the cold. The touch of the dementors. And he remembered this place: the Forest and the castle.

From where he was standing he could see the lights in the windows. It was beautiful. Lupin was drawn to the castle, but at the same time he feared to go nearer. He remembered warmth when he looked at the building, but he knew that it would be dangerous to go there.

They thought that he was a murderer and a traitor... but he wasn't... he wasn't... This was the only thing that was clear for him. That has been clear for him for the last twelve years.

Suddenly his head jerked up. He felt a scent, a very familiar scent. Once it meant friendship but now…he didn't know what to expect. He trembled slightly and then slipped back into the darkness.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx


End file.
